Edited By José M. Menudo
Edition 1st Edition
First Published 2019
eBook Published 11 October 2019
Pub. Location London
Imprint Routledge
DOI https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429443428
Pages 282 pages
eBook ISBN 9780429443428
Subjects Economics, Finance, Business & Industry, Humanities
JamesSteuart published An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Œconomy in1767, the first systematic treatise on economics, nine years before AdamSmith’s Wealth of Nations. Traditional historiography hastended to disregard and even deny Steuart’s oeuvre, categorizing him as thelast, outdated advocate of mercantilist policies in Britain.
A clearportrait of a modernizing and enlightened Steuart emerges from this book,opening up an alternative approach to many key developments in economic theory.This book brings together a diverse international team of experts to overturn the"advocate of mercantilism" myth and explore different interpretationsof Steuart’s work within the context of the writings of other contemporaryauthors. A diverse range of specialists – historians, economists, politicalscientist, and sociologists – reflecting the diversity of James Steuart’s workexplore various aspects of the life, works, and influence of James Steuart,including his links to other authors who conceive – as Steuart did – theeconomic system of "natural liberty" as an artificial creation. Theportrait of a demarginalized, modernizing, and enlightened Steuart emergesclearly in this book.
This book is not reduced to oldauthors whose ideas would be at the Museum of Dead Ideas, it has a verycontemporary resonance. The subjects and the way Steuart tackles them couldhave a big influence on future authors who recognized some advantages of analternative approach to many key developments in economic theory. This willalso be of interest to scholars of history of economic thought, intellectualhistory, and 18th century history.